Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



No. 638,487. Patented Dec. 5, 1399. E. WALTER.

MAIL BAGCATCHER AND DELIVEBEB.

(Application fi1ed Apr. 5, 1899.) (No Model.)

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No. 638,487. Patented Dec. 5, 1899.

E. WALTER. MAIL BAG CATGHER AND DELIVEBER.

I (Application filed Apr. 6, 1899.) N 0 M o d e I.)

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EDWARD WVALTER, OF KEYTESVILLE, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN R. DEMPSEY, OF'SAME PLACE.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,487, dated December 5, 1899.

Application filed April 5, 1899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD WALTER, a citizen of the United States,residingat Keytesville, in the county of Ohariton and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Mail-Bag Catcher and Deliverer, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for attachment to mail-cars and posts erected by the side of railways whereby mail-bags may be caught upon the car or delivered from them while moving at their usual high speed, the object of the invention being to provide improved devices of this class for attachment to the car and the posts whereby the mail-bag may be caught upon the car from the hanger at the side of the road or delivered upon the hanger in an easy and reliable manner.

With this object in view my invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and afterward specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention most nearly appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the stationary holder and catcher erected at the side of the track. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the same, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing also a suspending-link thereon. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the outer portion thereof when set up, as in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a view of the same parts in front elevation when folded. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View on the dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the suspending-link. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the catcher and holder on a mail-car extended for use. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 9 is a front elevation showing the hooks turned up. Fig. 10 is a similar view with the hooks turned down. Fig. 11 is a top plan View with the hooks turned down.

Like numerals indicate the same parts wher- Serial No. 711,842. (No model.)

ever they occur in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 12 indicates a post planted by the side of the track, generally at a station, upon which is pivotally mounted a framework comprising metal bars 13 14, pivoted on opposite sides of the post by bolt 15 and provided at their outer ends with eyes 16 and near their outer ends with a bar 17, riveted or bolted to them transversely and parallel with the track, said bar 17 being angular in cross-section and bow eled off at its ends 18 19.

A straight rod 20 is secured in the eyes 16 of the bars 13 and 14 and extends in line with the track in both directions, thimbles or sleeves 21 being placed on the rod inside of bars 13 and 14 and a prop or leg 22 pivot- .ally mounted between said thimbles and held in proper position centrally between bars 13 and 14 by said sleeves. A socket 23 is secured to the face of the post to receive prop or leg 22 and hold the device in operative position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Illustrated in Figs. 7, 8, and 11 is a rod 24, secured across the doorway 25 of a car parallel with the track, upon which are pivotally and slidably mounted bars or arms 26 and 27, with a separatingsleeve 28 between them, which arms at their outer ends have eyes 26 and 27*, in which is mounted loosely enough to be turned therein a rod 29. Between the arms 26 and 27 on rod 29 is a prop or leg 30, separating sleeves 31 31, serving to maintain its position on the rod centrally between arms 26 and 27. There are two sockets 32 33, one soon red to the carat each side of the doorway, in either of which the prop or leg may be placed to retain the device in operative position, as shown best in Figs. 7 and 8.

Secured to arms 26 and 27 ashort distance within and parallel with rod 29 is a bar 34, angular in cross-section, projecting beyond the arms in either direction and having its ends beveled off, as at 35 36.

The ends of rod 29, which extend beyond arms 26 and 27, are turned back to form hooks 37 and 38.

The construction of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, and its operation may be described as follows: The car approaching a station, a ring 39,supporting a mail-bag,is placed on the rear end of the rod 29, and a similar ring supporting a mail-bag is hung on the forward end of rod 20 of the station apparatus. When the car reaches the station apparatus in passing, the forward end of rod 29 enters ring 39 of the bag, hung on forward end of rod 20, and slides the ring and bag off the forward end of rod 20 onto rod 29, the inner bar of the ring lodging between bar and rod 29 and being securely held thereon until pulled into the car. In the meantime the rear end of rod 20 of the station apparatus has passed into ring 39 of the bag carried on the car on the rear end of rod 29, the hooks being turned down, and has slipped the ring off rod 29 and upon rod 20, the inner bar of the ring lodging between the bar 18 and rod 20 and remaining there until taken down. Should the ring caught upon rod 29 slide toward the end of that rod, it will not slide oif, but will be caught by the hook at the end of the bar.

To dismantle the apparatus on the car, the prop 30 is raised out of its socket and serves as a handle to draw bar 29 and the caught mail-bag into the car.

To dismantle the station apparatus,the prop 22 is raised out of socket 23 and the whole device lowered and folded against the post, bringing the bag hung on rod 20 within easy reach of the platform.

The whole device is simple, cheap, and effective, performing reliably and surely the double duty of delivering one mail-bag and catching the other.

While I have illustrated and described what I consider the best means now known to me for carrying'out my invention, I do not wish to be understood as restricting myself to the exact forms and constructions shown, as many slight changes therein or variations thereform might suggest themselves to the ordinary mechanic, all of which would be clearly included within the limit and scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. In a mail-bag catcher and deliverer, the combination of a pair of arms pivoted to a post, a rod carried in eyes at the ends of the arms in line with the track and projecting beyond the arms in both directions, a socket on the post below the arms, and a prop pivoted on the rod, between the arms, and adapted to be seated in said socket to support the rod in operative position, substantially as described.

2. In a mail-bag catcher and deliverer, the combination of a pair of arms pivoted to a post, a rod carried in eyes at the ends of the arms in line with the track and projecting beyond the arms in both directions, a bar with beveled ends secured to the armsin proximity to and parallel with the rod, a socket on the post below the arms, and a prop pivoted on the rod, between the arms and adapted to be seated in said socket to support the rod in operative position, substantially as described.

3. In a mail catcher and deliverer, the combination with the car, of a horizontal round bar secured across the doorway, two arms pivotally and slidably mounted thereon, a rod carried in eyes at the ends of the arms in line with the track and projecting forward and in rear of the arms, a socket secured to the car at each side of the doorway, and a prop pivoted on the rod between the arms and adapted to be seated in either socket to support the rod in operative position, substantially as described.

4:. In a mailcatcher and deliverer, the combination with the car, of a horizontal round bar secured across the doorway, two arms pivotally and slidably mounted thereon, a rod carried in eyes at the endsof the arms in line with the track and projectingforward and in rear of the arms, hooks at each end of the rodtnrned back toward the arms, a socket secured to the car at each side of the doorway, and a prop pivoted on the rod between the arms and adapted to be seated in either socket to support the rod in operative position, substantially as described.

5. In a mail catcher and deliverer, the combination with the car, of a horizontal round bar secured across the doorway, two arms pi votally and slidably mounted thereon, a rod carried in eyes atthe ends of the arms in line with the track and projecting forward and in rear of the arms, a bar with beveled ends secured to the arms in proximity to and parallel with the rod, a socket secured to the car at each side of the doorway, and a prop pivoted on the rod between the arms and adapted to be seated in either socket to support the rod in operative position, substantially as described.

EDWARD WALTER.

Witnesses:

JOHN RICHARD DE'MPsEY, JAMEs O. WALLEN. 

